Rayla
A Moonshadow Elf assassin who chose mercy over revenge.
Rayla is a fictional character who serves as one of the main protagonists of the Netflix animated fantasy television series The Dragon Prince. She is voiced by Paula Burrows. Rayla is introduced as a prodigy Moonshadow Elf assassin and the protégé of veteran assassin Runaan. Sent on a mission to avenge the death of the king of the dragons, she ultimately joins forces with the human princes Callum and Ezran to deliver the egg of the Dragon Prince back to his mother. Throughout the series, Rayla and Callum develop a romantic relationship.
Quick Facts
- Series
- The Dragon Prince
- First
- "Echoes of Thunder"
- Last
- "Nova"
- Creator
- Aaron Ehasz; Justin Richmond
- Voice
- Paula Burrows
- Species
- Moonshadow Elf
- Position
- Moonshadow Assassin (formerly); The Last Dragonguard
- Affiliation
- Silvergrove; Kingdom of Katolis
Lore & Background
Rayla was born on the 31 July to the warriors Lain and Tiadrin. Her parents were later recruited into the Dragonguard, an elite force of eight warriors sworn to protect the egg of the Dragon Prince. As a result, she was taken in by the head assassin Runaan and his husband Ethari, an expert craftsman. For years, Runaan trained Rayla to be an assassin. Four months before the start of the series, Avizandum, the King of the Dragons, was slain by King Harrow and Lord Viren. Frightened, the Dragonguard abandoned their duty, apparently including Rayla's parents. Ashamed of their alleged cowardice, Rayla joined a small group of assassins on a mission to avenge Avizandum by killing King Harrow and his heir, Crown Prince Ezran.
Reader's Guide
Rayla is a Moonshadow Elf assassin who struggles with the morality of taking lives. Her defining moment comes when she chooses to protect the Dragon Prince's egg instead of completing her assassination mission. She suffers from aquaphobia after nearly drowning as a child during an encounter with the Bloodmoon Huntress. Rayla is trained by Runaan and lives with him and his husband Ethari in the Silvergrove. She is fast and strong, but her compassion often overrides her assassin training. Her wrist ribbons bind her to her mission and tighten until her hand would come off, but Zym saves her by biting one off. She educates Callum on the six Primal Sources of nature. Rayla's arc involves reconciling her parents' apparent cowardice with her own choices, ultimately choosing to break the cycle of revenge.
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